I believe that 20% of the U.S. prison population is seriously mentally ill, along with 10% of the U.S. homeless population.

As for the suggestions made by the Maryland Task Force --- The Washington Post Metro, Thursday, Janurary 3, 2013: "Law enforcement officials in Maryland should be authorized to confiscate firearms from people who make a specific threat of 'serious violence' against someone," according to recommendations released Wednesday by a state government-appointed task force on guns and the mentally ill.

"If the person making the threats does not own a gun, that person should be blocked from buying one," the task force said. "The task force thinks every single one of these catagories {mental health and other professionals}, should be reporting. Some of these may be stronger than others in current law."

I am "cautiously optimistic" about the proposed effort "to keep dangerous individuals away from firearms"... quoting: Philip Watson, director of special projects at the Second Amendment Foundation, a gun rights group. "But we're concerned about improper administration of it...as well as provisions for due process," Watson said. There would need to be "safeguards against improper and overzealous application of the law, and stronger provisions for restoring gun ownership rights to those who have had firearms taken away, with the burden of proof on the state."